Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures we are reminded that we should have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and not to allow ourselves to be tempted by the distractions and temptations present all around us in this world. Each and every one of us must always be committed to the Lord, our loving God and Master, and keep ourselves firmly rooted in our faith in Him, entrusting ourselves to Him in all things. We should not allow our pride and ego to be hurdles and stumbling blocks in our path, preventing us from coming closer to God and His salvation. Instead, we should continue to resist the temptations of the world, the temptations and allures of pride and ego so that we may truly come faithfully to the Lord’s Presence.

In our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we heard how St. Paul chastised the Corinthians and the faithful people of God there for their immoral and improper behaviour in how they carried out actions such as taking one’s own stepmother as a wife, and other scandals which were truly unbecoming of the Lord’s holy and beloved people. This together with other immoral actions and behaviours which St. Paul highlighted to the Christians in Corinth that they should not be doing those actions and that they should turn back once again towards the righteous and virtuous path of the Lord, throwing away the corruptions of worldliness and immorality, and all the things which may become stumbling blocks and obstacles in their path towards God and His salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the occasion in the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus healed a man with paralysed right hand before the eyes of the people and some of the Pharisees who were there watching and observing Him. Those Pharisees were very rigid in their interpretation of the Law of God, and they especially frowned upon any disobedience and improper following of the Law in accordance to their strict interpretation. In this regard, those Pharisees saw the Lord’s actions in carrying out His ministry and performing miracles and healing works on the day of the Sabbath as erroneous and even blasphemous. They criticised Him and saying that He should not have done that action, and the Lord rebuked them for their stubborn attitude and mistaken understanding of the true purpose of the Sabbath.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from those passages in the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by our pride and ego, just as how those Pharisees thought that they knew it better and that they were superior than any others around them. When we allow these temptations to sway us, that is when we may end up disobeying the Lord and falling into the wrong path, falling ever deeper into sin and away from God and His salvation. As Christians, all of us should always be humble, and be willing to listen to God and His words, as He calls upon us to follow Him and to do His will. Each and every one of us have to adhere faithfully to the path that the Lord has shown us and guided us to, and we should seek inspiration from our holy predecessors who have shown us how we can be truly faithful to the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Claver, a holy man and dedicated servant of God who as a priest and missionary was remembered for his great contributions in bringing many people closer to God, in spreading God’s truth and Good News to many more people who have not yet received these. St. Peter Claver was born in Spain to a devout and prosperous family of farmers, who eventually went to join the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits after he completed his studies. Through his interactions with another great saint, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, a Jesuit porter and laybrother during his formation years, who told him of God’s calling for him to go to New Spain, the territories of what is now the American continent, eventually St. Peter Claver embraced that call and volunteered himself to go there as a missionary.

St. Peter Claver was renowned in the region of New Spain as a courageous and fervent defender of the rights of the African slaves and others who have been marginalised, discriminated against and oppressed, standing by them and championing their rights. He also ministered among many of them, and spent a lot of time going to visit the various communities of people, and even visiting the filthy conditions of the ships carrying the slaves, and many of them accepted the Lord as their Saviour and Master, especially touched by the kindness and generosity which St. Peter Claver had shown them. He treated them as fellow Christians and urged them to consider one another as brethren to each other, showing respect and care for their fellow men.

According to Church tradition and history, St. Peter Claver personally baptised no less than three hundred thousand people and many others were impacted by his efforts and ministry. He showed great love and care for all people regardless of their background, and cared for the least, the lost and those who have suffered and faced terrible challenges and trials in life. He laboured and worked hard not minding his own needs and desires, and gave his all for many decades for the sake of God’s beloved people. To the very end of his life, St. Peter Claver committed himself to God’s missions, and in the end, after his passing, his reputation and holiness were widely known and he was revered for his great contributions and dedication to God’s people and His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be inspired by the great examples showed by St. Peter Claver, who has shown us how we all can also live our lives worthily as a disciple and follower of the Lord. Each and every one of us as part of God’s Church have the shared responsibility, mission and calling to do what He has entrusted to us to do, that is to proclaim God’s truth and love, His Good News and salvation to everyone, and we should do this while showing the same love which God has generously showered us with. Let us all continue to love one another and be gracious to all of our fellow brethren, especially those who are less fortunate and have no one to care for them. May God be with us all and may He bless each and every one of our good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.